


Obsession

by amareee



Series: One Direction (Gay Fics) [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fan - Freeform, Fanfiction, Fiction, Kidnapping, M/M, Obsession, Romance, Teen Fiction, Teen Romance, teen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-02 23:14:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11519520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amareee/pseuds/amareee
Summary: Obsession (n.) the state of being obsessed with someone or something.Zayn didn't expect to be the victim of something like this; nobody ever expects this to happen.Through each normal day of him going to school, working at his job, and going home, he had no idea that an unknown man who let his obsession spiral out of control was watching him.©amareee





	1. prologue. ✖

"Zayn, could you close up tonight?" Harry asked him, tossing him the keys as he took off his apron. He nodded and placed the keys down, wiping off his hands from the dough he was kneading.

"Why don't we just close up now? Nobody is here." Zayn said, immediately taking back what he said when he saw a man sitting at a table with his back to Zayn. Harry smirked while he scratched the back of his head, feeling bad for not noticing the poor guy.

"Oh..."

"Good job genius. See you tomorrow, yeah?" He said, walking out the door before Zayn could come up with a witty come back. He shook his head as he finished up with the dough he had, wrapping it up and placing it into the fridge in the back to let it cool. As he came around back to the register, the same man that was seated at the table was looking over the array of cupcakes on display, surprising Zayn with how quick he had moved.

"Have you pick out a flavor sir?" He asked, offering him a small smile as he stood up from his crouched position. He gave a shy smile as he fixed the bag by his side, pointing towards the chocolate cupcakes topped with strawberry frosting. 

"Great choice, it's my favorite." Zayn smiled, placing one into a small box then typing in the price on the cash register. 

"I know..."

"What?" Zayn asked, raising an eyebrow as the man furrowed his brows and looked around awkwardly as he took the box. 

"I didn't say anything." He said with a confused tone, placing the small box under his arm. 

"Huh," He mumbled, taking the ten that the man had handed over. "Okay so your change come's back to–"

"Keep the change." Zayn gave the man a weary smile, getting a little creeped out as he nodded and placed the ten into the register. 

"Alright...have a good evening sir." Zayn said, turning around and untying his apron so he could get ready to close up shop. He didn't see the point in keeping it open if the only customer he had just left. As Zayn walked towards the back room to put away his apron, he didn't notice the stranger still standing outside with his camera in hand, snapping quick pictures while biting his lip. 

"I hope you have a good evening too Zayn Malik. I'm looking forward to mine." The strange man said, snapping a couple more pictures before quickly walking away. 


	2. chapter one. ✖

Zayn closed up shop and placed his beanie on top of his head as he walked down the street. He whistled a small tune to keep him occupied as he walked towards his apartment, unaware of the black car trailing behind him. He would've been more cautious if it wasn't for the fact that he was feeling especially happy at the moment.

He was supposed to go on a date with the one and only Perrie Edwards, the woman he had always cared deeply for. They've been friends for ages, and Zayn had always had a sort of crush on her since they had attended primary school together. After months of convincing, and with the help of Harry, Perrie had finally agreed to go on a date with Zayn.

She didn't really like the man; she actually considered him to have the maturity of a boy than a man, and the only reason she said yes was because she wanted Zayn and Harry to stop pestering her. Zayn felt his giddiness rise as he thought about Perrie, grinning to himself as a slight bounce started to show in his step.

He finally reached his apartment and took out his keys, bringing them towards the deadbolt to unlock the door. He jumped when he heard someone walking up the stairs, a little confused since nobody really walked up the stairs at this time. He turned around to see who it was and furrowed his brows to see the same man that was at the bakery fifteen minutes ago.

"Oh hello! I didn't expect to see you here!" The man said, offering Zayn a toothy smile. Zayn tried to smile back but couldn't help but feel uneasy around this guy; I mean he's seen him twice in one day which was a little odd in his book.

"Same here...do you live here by any chance? I've never seen you around here, like ever." Zayn said, emphasizing that fact. The man shook his head and pointed up the stairs.

"A friend of mine lives here. He wants me to help out with some things tonight. I never got your name actually, what is it?" The man asked, Zayn a little hesitant to tell him his name.

"Zayn, my name is Zayn." Zayn said, flinching when the man held out his hand.

"That's a beautiful name, mine is Niall." Niall. It seemed to fit the guy's appearance. Zayn ignored the hand and gave the man another fake smile.

"It was nice meeting you really, but I'd like to get to bed soon. I've got a date tomorrow with a lovely girl." Zayn said, not noticing how Niall's smile faltered at the look on Zayn's face. Niall noticed how Zayn's eyes started to sparkle at the thought of whoever this girl was, and Niall didn't like that one bit. He wanted Zayn's eyes to sparkle when he thought about _him_. He wanted Zayn to automatically smile when he thought about _him_. He just wanted Zayn to himself in general, and he knew that he had to get rid of whoever this girl was if he wanted that to happen.

"You too Zayn. I look forward to seeing you again." Zayn couldn't keep his expression under control at this point and frowned, watching as Niall walked up the steps to the other apartments, and for some reason, he had a feeling that Niall didn't have any friends that lived in this complex.

+

Zayn straightened up his jacket and ran his hand through his hair a few times, finally okay with his appearance. He grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys and set off, walking towards the stairs and froze when he heard the door of another apartment open up, the sound of the man he met last night filling his ears.

"It's was no problem Liam really, see you tomorrow?" Zayn felt himself tense at the mans voice and quickly made his way down the stairs, wanting to avoid this 'Niall' guy. Something was just really off about him and Zayn just couldn't put his finger on it. He jogged outside and quickly rounded the corner, stopping and turning around to peek his head around the building. He furrowed his brows as he watched Niall emerge from the building, camera in hand as he looked from side to side. 

"Creepy much?" Zayn told himself, his eyes widening when he saw another man come out with him. The man was strong with big brown eyes, and before Zayn could just walk away and leave them to whatever they were doing, he covered his mouth as he gasped. The other man who he was just going to assume was Liam, was carrying a smaller man over his shoulder, his hands tied up and a piece of tape over his mouth. He seemed to be unconscious, and that was enough for Zayn to back away and run for his life.

Who knew what they could've done to him if they saw him at the corner?

+

"Shit, he saw us!" Liam said, about to run after him when Niall stopped him. 

"Don't. He won't tell anyone. Believe me I know." Niall said, sighing when he thought about all the times he and Zayn went out together. 

"Yeah I know. Remember when Louis and I went on that date together?" Liam asked, a goofy smile on his face as he recalled he and Louis sitting at the dinner table together. 

"Of course. It's too bad he misbehaved though." Niall said, disappointment on his face as he looked at Louis through the car window, the man slowly coming to. 

"He knew the consequences Niall, he really shouldn't have tried to run. He's going to be punished later." Liam tutted, smiling as Louis fully awoke and started screaming, banging his tied up hands against the window as he tried to scream profanities through the duct tape sealed on his mouth. 

"Should we get going then? After all, you have to prepare for your first date with Zayn, don't you?" Liam asked, going around the front of the car. Niall nodded and placed his camera into his bag, getting into the passenger seat and looking at Louis through the review mirror.

"You really shouldn't have tried to run Lou. I just hope my Zayn isn't as disobedient as you." Niall sighed, making Louis scream more profanities behind the tape as tears pooled into his eyes.

+

Zayn tried to get what he saw out of his mind as he sat at the table with Perrie, a bored look on her face as he fiddled with his fingers. 

"So, um, how was your morning?" Zayn asked a little awkwardly, internally beating himself up as she gave him a weird look and sighed. 

"It was okay I guess. Nothing new honestly." Zayn nodded and felt his face fall as Perrie sighed. 

"Look Zayn, I know that you have a thing for me, but we've been friends for such a long time now; I don't think we should be in a relationship. It's really weird for me, and I don't really think I could love you in that way, you know?" Perrie said, feeling bad as Zayn looked down. 

"Oh..." 

"You'll find a girl out there okay? That girl she just...she just isn't me. I'm sorry Zayn." Perrie said, standing up and leaving some money for her food. After sitting there for twenty minutes and receiving a few pitiful looks from the waitress, Zayn stood and left money on the table, quickly leaving the restaurant. He never knew what rejection felt like and didn't think he would any time soon. But now, he knew that rejection stung like a bitch. He felt like he had just been stabbed in the chest and the knife was left there, twisted and deep into his heart as he walked down the street.

He kicked a few pebbles in his way and sighed as he walked down the path, about to turn the corner when he heard his name. 

"Zayn!" Zayn looked behind him and gasped, seeing Niall quickly making his way to him. A little scared, Zayn tried to ignore Niall and sped up his pace, keeping his head down as he heard Niall try to yell at him again and gain his attention. Zayn heard Niall's footsteps get closer and he broke into a run, feeling the panic set in as he tried to get away. After seeing what he saw this morning, he didn't feel like becoming the victim. He tried to make it to the bakery and started to yell for Harry, seeing his best friend at the counter as he fixed the display of sweets. 

"Harry! Harry call the–" Zayn was cut off as the wind was knocked out of him, falling to his knees as he coughed. He looked up to see the same man who was carrying the smaller man looking down on him, a sickly smile on his face as he bent down. 

"We have to get you ready today. After all, it is your first date with Niall." Zayn was confused. He had never once shown an interest for Niall; the only time he met him was last night at the bakery! 

"I don't know you!" Zayn yelled, trying to fight back against Liam's tight grasp. He kicked and screamed, trying to get Harry's attention but to know avail as Liam pressed his fingers into his neck. 

"Shh...shh. Sleep now..." Liam whispered into his ear, Zayn soon going limp in his arms as the world around him faded to black. 

 


	3. chapter two. ✖

Zayn's eyes slowly fluttered open as he raised his head, dazed and confused. Where was he? He looked around and tried to get off the ground, only to find that his hands were bound in front of him.

That's when it all came back.

The creepy man named Niall, the big burly man who had made Zayn unconscious. He tried to form words but his voice was muffled by the tape around his mouth. He looked around to try and find an area of escape and let out a small noise when he eyed the staircase. Zayn got onto all fours as best as he could until he heard a small yelp coming from outside the door.

"I told you that running will only lead you to get punished. Didn't I?!" Zayn flinched as he heard the same yelp, this time louder. He felt tears coming to his eyes as he heard more smacks of punches being thrown and the yells of the poor man getting beat. Zayn pressed himself against the wall as he tried to press his hands against his ears, shutting is eyes as the man continued to be beaten.

"I hope you learned your lesson. I don't want to hurt you anymore, you're too precious for that." Before the man could say anything back to the other man, he was thrown down the staircase, landing roughly on his back. Zayn quickly made his way to him—well as fast as he could, crawling on your hands and knees isn't exactly the fastest method—and loomed over him, looking at the battered man with sympathetic eyes. The man looked up and groaned, sitting up and leaning against the wall.

"How bad is it?" The man asked, gesturing to his face. Zayn shrugged and gestured his two bound hands towards the tape over his mouth.

"Right...c'mere." Zayn was apprehensive at first but listened to the man, wincing when the man had pulled the tape off his mouth in one swift movement.

"Thanks..." He said, his voice hoarse from the lack of use.

"It's not a problem. I'm Louis." He shrugged, extending his hand but realizing the action was pointless as Zayn's hands were still bound.

"I'm Zayn. What is going on here? Why am I here? Who were those two guys?" He asked, his questions getting frantic as he eyed the closed door at the top of the stairs. Louis shook his head and sighed, turning away. This kid couldn't be older than eighteen, and here he was, stuck in this situation.

+

"Did Louis learn his lesson?" Niall asked, smiling to himself as he clicked through his camera, images of Zayn flicking by with each press of the button.

"I think he did yeah. He's downstairs with Zayn right now." Liam said, going through the fridge to try to make something for all four of them to eat.

"Just look at him Liam, look how beautiful he is..." Niall said, showing him his favorite picture he took of Zayn.

"Yeah but my Louis is prettier." Liam pointed out, making Niall roll his eyes and shake his head.

"Whatever, I'm going to go put my camera away, maybe even develop some pictures. So don't come in yeah?"

"Yeah I know the rules. I'm going to make dinner and set everything up." Liam explained, shooing Niall off. Niall walked into the red room and shut the door, placing his camera down as he approached the wall covered with the many pictures he took of Zayn.

Somewhere he was kneading the dough in the bakery, somewhere he was walking home, somewhere he was inside his apartment by his window. Every picture that you could possibly take of Zayn, Niall had. Niall placed his hand on one of his favorite pictures of Zayn, a smile making it's way on to his face as he sighed. Zayn just looked so handsome in the picture, despite how casual Zayn had been during that day.

If Niall remembered it correctly, Zayn was on his way home from Harry's house (Niall was fuming with jealousy but nonetheless forgave Zayn a few days later) and he was carrying his overnight bag with him, the strap going across Zayn's sweater clad chest. Zayn had been running his tongue over his lips as he walked, his glasses perfectly set on the very top of his nose, making Niall go weak in the knees when he took the picture. It made Niall wonder why he didn't wear those glasses everyday; Zayn was almost hotter that way than when he wasn't wearing his glasses.

Niall sighed as he placed his hand back down to the side, turning around and leaving the room. He'd develop the pictures later; he wanted to say hello to the man he's been in love with for the past two and a half years.

+

"Why me? I don't even know him, hell I'm not even gay!" Zayn said, feeling his bottom lip tremble. What if he died here in this musty old basement? What if he never got to see his family again? What about school, work, Harry, would he ever get the chance to say goodbye?

"I thought the exact same words, and it isn't going to help. I'm not going to sugar coat anything, because this isn't some movie where we're going to make it out alright; this is reality. I don't think that they'll kill us though." Louis said, placing his chin on his knees as he wrapped his arms around his legs and pulled them tight to his chest.

"What makes you think that?" Zayn said, trying to find a comfortable position despite his tied up wrists and ankles.

"They're both fucked up in the head no doubt about that, but to them, or at least Liam, the one who kidnapped me, he actually likes me. He's tried to set up dinner dates with me, he's tried having little movie nights with me. I don't think he'd kill me." Louis said, pondering over the last couple of months.

"Was he stalking you or something?"

"Yeah. For almost four years and I had no idea. He took me when I was on my way home from university. Studying to become a drama teacher." Louis shrugged, and it made Zayn wonder. How old was Louis?

"How old are you?" He asked, voicing his thoughts.

"Twenty-two. Don't you dare sing that damn Taylor Swift song, I swear to god." Zayn closed his open mouth and pouted; that's exactly what he was going to do.

"Fine. Could you at least untie me? I don't understand why you aren't tied up as well." Zayn complained, watching as Louis started untying his hands. "Because I don't try to run anymore. If I run I get punished. I don't really run when I know I can't escape, I only run when I've got a chance. You know how I've got this beat up face?" Zayn nodded.

"Last night at the cinema. Liam was going to the restroom during the movie and I took it as my chance to escape. A minute after he left I stood up and tried to casually leave, running when I left the theater room. But as soon as I was about to make it to the door, Liam had caught me. He looked pissed but the only thing he said was 'What a shame'. I thought I was going to die last night." Louis sighed, reliving the whole night once again. He was so close to being free; he was going to see his family, he was going to see his friends at uni, he was going to be free. But he wasn't fast enough.

"Oh..." Was the only thing Zayn could say. What else could he do? He felt Louis' pain as he eyed the man. He saw how his eyes had started to light up when he talked about himself running towards the exit, then how quickly his face dropped when he told him that Liam had caught him. It makes him think; will that be him, in just a few years? Or however long Niall decides to keep him?

"There you go. You can do your feet, can't you?" Zayn looked down to see his wrists untied, nodding to Louis and mumbling a small thank you. He quickly untied his feet and sighed in relief, moving his stiff limbs as he stood up.

"How do we get out of here then?" Zayn asked, surveying the dark room.

"What? I just told you that if we tried to run we would get punished. I just took mine and I'm not about to take another one. If I were you I would just be on your best behavior; you haven't seen Niall when he is angry." Louis said, remembering the time that Niall let out his anger on him.

"He's kind of small isn't he? I'm sure he can't inflict much on me." Zayn scoffed. From what he saw Niall was shorter than him and seemed to be a bit on the lean sign. Surely Zayn could take him.

"Fine. But you better take this as a warning, because I'm not going to help you again. You're bringing this on yourself." Louis reminded, leaning his head against the brick wall as he shut his eyes. Zayn rolled his own and looked around the basement, huffing when the only window in the place was sealed shut with cement.

"He put that there because I escaped that way the first time." Louis said, somehow knowing that Zayn would look at the window first.

"I'm going to get out of here, and when I do I'm going to call the police so that you can leave too." Zayn promised Louis, which was no use really. After last night, the man had abandoned all hope. He's been stuck with Liam and Niall for almost three months now, and some kid is suddenly going to change that? Don't blame him for thinking that way though he's just trying to be realistic. He only shook his head at Zayn's words as Zayn quietly made his way up the steps, keeping his eyes on the door as he made his way to the last step.

"These bastards won't know what hit them." Zayn told himself with a smirk, the smirk being wiped off his face as the door quickly opened, revealing a frowning Niall as he blocked the door way.

"What do you think you're doing?"

 


	4. chapter three. ✖

Zayn looked down nervously as Niall impatiently waited for an explanation.

"I'm waiting." Niall said, his strong Irish accent intimidating Zayn a lot more than the Bradford native thought it would.

"I um, I just didn't really like the basement?" Zayn knew he fucked up when it came out as more of a question. A sickly sweet smile appeared on Niall's face as he grabbed the front of Zayn's shirt, bringing the younger closer to his face as he growled.

"Don't lie to me Zayn. I despise liars." Niall's piercing blue eyes frightened Zayn as he avoided the blonde's gaze, wincing when Niall threw him down on the floor.

"You tried to escape. Why would you do that? Why would you try to run from me; your boyfriend Zayn?" Zayn backed away from Niall as the latter slowly walked towards him, pure confusion and sadness on his face as he got closer to Zayn.

"I'm not your boyfriend you creep! I barely even know you!" Zayn stood and tried to run towards the door, only to stop short as he felt a sort of pinch on his neck. He turned around to see Niall holding a long tube, a frown on his face as he walked over to Zayn. As Niall got closer Zayn's vision started to blur, soon seeing double as he dropped to his knees.

"W-what did you do to me?" He stuttered, feeling around his neck. His eyes widened as his fingers shaped around a small dart. Quickly pulling it out and tossing it towards the side, Zayn tried again to make it to the door, only to groan as Niall pressed his foot into Zayn's back. He leaned down to whisper into Zayn's ear as the raven-haired boy started to drift off into dream world, biting his lip before he spoke.

"You aren't going anywhere love." Zayn internally screamed as he felt himself being dragged away from the door, all of his senses soon fading away.

+

Louis stayed silent at the dinner table as Liam and Niall argued with each other over Zayn.

"Why did you have to knock him out?!"

"I was too lazy to do anything to be honest."

"Then you could've called me?"

"You were cooking dinner I didn't want to interrupt you." Louis shook his head as they continued to argue, barely touching his food as he eyed the front door down the hall. If they were just in another room, if they weren't so close, he could just make it to the door. But, he wasn't going to risk it; it already cost him his face. He glanced over at Zayn passed out in the chair, his wrists tied to the arms of the chair while his ankles were tied to the legs of the chair.

"I told you not to try anything..." He mumbled, taking his fork in hand and spearing the chicken on the plate as Liam and Niall made their way back towards the dinner table.

"What's the matter? Do you not like the chicken?" Liam asked as he sat down across from Louis.

 _No, it's just you I don't like._ "No, I was just waiting for you to come back to the table. I thought it would be rude to just eat without you." Louis covered, grimacing on the inside as Liam gave him a warm smile. Zayn slowly came to and looked around, struggling with the rope keeping him to the chair.

"I wouldn't try struggling. See what happens when you misbehave Zayn? This is only the first part of your punishment, the next part comes after dinner. Now hold still so I can feed you properly." Louis cringed as he watched Niall pick up a fork and try to feed Zayn, the blonde boy frowning when Zayn refused to open his mouth.

"C'mon Zaynie, I don't want you to not eat. Just take a bite."

"Don't call me that." Zayn growled. Niall immediately dropped the fork and stood up, Liam raising an eyebrow as he continued to eat the food he prepared.

"Now you've done it..." Louis mumbled, keeping his head down as he heard Zayn's chair scrape harshly against the tiled floor.

"You don't want to eat? Fine. Go ahead, and starve!" Niall yelled in his face, making Louis flinch as he continued to eat his food. Zayn struggled as Niall pulled him towards the basement, his eyes pleading as he looked over to Louis. Louis placed his fork down as he avoided his gaze, speaking quietly as he felt his lip tremble.

"I told you kid. I'm not going to help you. I'm sorry..."

+

"Let me go! I have family, I've got friends! They'll find me, and the police will arrest you when they find me!" Zayn yelled, beginning to feel nervous as Niall stayed silent. Ever since he had dragged Zayn down the basement he had been deathly silent, the silence nerve racking to Zayn.

"Say something?!"

"You don't get to demand me anything. Who's the one tied up in the chair? You. Who's the one stuck in the basement? You. Watch your mouth with me." Zayn immediately shut his mouth as Niall walked in a circle around him, tracing his finger around Zayn's shoulders as he walked.

"Why? Why me?" Niall sighed as he came around and straddled Zayn, resting his hands on his shoulders as he tilted his head.

"Because I love you. And I want you to love me back." Zayn scoffed as he shook his head.

"That's not going to happen." Niall gripped his shoulders a little harder as he scowled at Zayn. How dare he reject him. How dare he think that he can just say no to him like that, after all that they've done together. Niall cares deeply for Zayn, so much. But sometimes, the dark-haired lad could be a pain in the ass.

"Fine. It looks like I'll have to _make_ you mine." Zayn furrowed his eyebrows as Niall climbed off him, walking over to the wooden desk in the corner of the room. Zayn tried to crane his neck to see if he could catch what he was pulling out, huffing in frustration as he couldn't catch the full view. Niall came back around with a sharp pin and a lighter, Zayn's chest slowly starting to heave as he realized what Niall was going to do.

"No, don't!"

"You need to be taught a lesson. Now hold still or it will hurt more." Niall spoke, lighting the pin until the tip was pure white. Zayn started to move even more as he came closer, tears springing to his eyes as Niall brought the needle closer.

"This will only sting for a little while..."

+

Louis brought his hands up to his ears as he heard Zayn's screams, shaking his head as he brought his knees up to his chest. He grimaced as he felt Liam wrap an arm around his waist, pulling him closer as he sighed into Louis' ear.

"It will be over soon love. He'll learn his lesson, just like you." Louis slowly uncovered his ears as he turned around in Liam's arms, much to Liam's surprise.

"I have to use the bathroom." Liam let go of Louis and watched as he slowly made his way towards the bathroom, turning on the light and shutting the door. Louis grabbed a nearby spray bottle and took off the top, sticking it in-between the toilet seat to make it seem like he was using the bathroom. In reality, he slowly sunk down the bathroom wall as he sobbed, covering his ears once more as he heard Zayn begging for Niall to stop in the basement.

 


	5. chapter four. ✖

As soon as Liam and Niall left for work, Louis hurriedly ran to the basement, unlocking the door and running down the stairs. He felt like shit for not warning Zayn earlier, and he just wanted to check if he was okay.

"Please be alright kid..." Louis turned the corner to see Zayn with his shirt off, passed out in the corner of the basement with his knees pulled up to his chest. Louis ran to him and moved his knees out of the way, gasping as he decided whether or not he should touch Zayn.

On his stomach were the initials N.J.H, the wounds still fresh and bleeding. Judging from how deep the cuts were, Louis knew that Niall meant to scar him with the initials. He ran up the steps of the basement and into Liam's bathroom -he refused to acknowledge that he and Liam shared a room, let alone a bathroom- and grabbed the first aid kit.

He ran back down the steps and back to Zayn, resting on his knees as he placed down the kit and gently patted Zayn's face.

"Kid...hey kid, wake up." Louis whispered, smiling when Zayn responded.

"My name is Zayn damn it." Louis softly chuckled as he shook his head, opening the first aid kit and getting the supplies he needed. Zayn winced as Louis swiped the wounds with disinfectant, suddenly remembering how they got there in the first place. He cringed as Louis gently dabbed the cuts on his face, a few tears springing to his eyes, as the events of last night seemed to replay in front of him. He had truly seen how terrifying and violent Niall could get, and it scared the shit out of him. Not only did it scare him to death, but it also seemed to show him how real his situation was.

This wasn't some movie where people were going to take action and try and find him, there wasn't going to be some miracle where Niall or Liam would forget to lock all the bolts on the front door, or forget about completely sealing one measly window.

No, Zayn was stuck here with these two creeps that let their obsession go too far, and that reality didn't hit him until now. He started to let the tears fall as Louis continued to tend to his wounds, softly letting out a sob. Louis heard Zayn's sob and gave him a look of pity. He was in the same place as him; only he had no more tears left to cry. He gently took the gauze from the kit and unwrapped it, slowly wrapping it around Zayn's midsection. 

Once everything was tightly wrapped he took Zayn into his arms, leaning against the wall as he cried into Louis' chest. Louis placed his cheek on top of Zayn's head as he slowly rocked them; Zayn's sobs getting quieter while his grip on Louis' shirt loosened. Thinking that he had fallen asleep, Louis went to get up, knowing that Liam would go ballistic if he caught him in this position with Zayn. Just as he went to place Zayn off his lap the latter tightened his grip once more, almost whimpering as he spoke. 

"Please don't leave me by myself down here." Louis nodded and shifted himself so that Zayn was fully seated in his lap again, running a hand through Zayn's hair as he watched him fall asleep.

+

"Yes Mrs. Malik, I'll call you if I hear anything. You have a good day too." Harry placed his phone back into his pocket after he hung up, knocking on Zayn's door for what seemed to be the millionth time. He knew that Zayn was always one to sleep in at times, but when he didn't show up for the second day at work he was a little worried. He didn't know Zayn very long, hell they met when Zayn had accidentally bumped into him when he was hurrying towards his class.

Due to his alarm clock going off an hour later than it was supposed to be, Zayn had rushed towards the campus, cursing himself for being late on the first day; he wanted to actually make an effort this year. As for Harry, he was completely and utterly lost that day, what with being the new transfer student that nobody wanted to deal with. So when he was roaming around looking for his AP English class, he was more than surprised when he felt a hard body collide with his own, papers flying everywhere from the collision.

It all just kind of started from there.

Harry smiled at the memory but nonetheless put his mind back into focus as he reached underneath the welcome mat for the spare key. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, a little cautious with what he might find. Harry's mind was usually the kind where it made up stories in his head, all kinds of stories that made him worry about things that he shouldn't even be worrying about.

What if Zayn had been carrying a few of his canvas paintings around his house and he couldn't see what was in front of him, causing him to fall into something and hit his head, hurting himself. Or maybe, maybe Zayn was cooking something in the kitchen and he cut himself with a knife, the excessive blood loss killing him.

All of these possibilities were running through Harry's mind, and he worried over them, no matter how ridiculous some of them sounded. But deep down Harry knew that when he opened the door to Zayn's bedroom, Zayn would probably be buried underneath a heap of blankets with a scowl on his face, telling Harry in his deep, heavily accented voice to "Fuck off, it's way too early."

So, you could imagine the look on Harry's face when he opened the door to find Zayn's bed empty and still unmade, his clothes from the past two days on the floor, and his cell phone sitting on the nightstand.

Harry knew for a fact that Zayn never left without his cellphone. Not because he was addicted to the games on it or anything -although that was a part of it- but because he was a total 'Mumma's boy'. He called his mother every day on his way to work, and when he was leaving work, Zayn always checking in on her and giving her the comfort that her baby boy was all right. But with his phone still sitting on his nightstand, Harry knew that Zayn was far from all right.

+

"What the fuck is this?" Louis looked up to see Liam towering over he and Zayn, Niall soon coming down the staircase as well. Louis said nothing as he held Zayn closer, knowing the boy was awake by how bad he was trembling in his arms. Liam shook his head as he leaned down to try and separate Louis from Zayn, Louis protesting as he shook his head.

"No! Stop it he's just a kid Liam, let him go!" Liam was ready to throw a punch to Zayn's already bruised face when Niall stepped in.

"If you lay a hand on my precious Zayn I swear to god you'll never see Louis again." He threatened, Liam huffing as he let Zayn go. Fearing that he would anger both Niall and Liam by running back to Louis, Zayn settled for hiding behind Niall, gripping the man's T-shirt as he trembled under Liam's glare. Niall bit back the smile threatening to surface because finally, Zayn was showing some sort of need towards him, and Niall was going to take what he could get. 

"Then keep your 'precious Zayn' away from my bloody boyfriend."  Liam growled, picking up Louis and taking him upstairs and to his bedroom. Zayn watched Louis go and immediately let go of Niall's shirt, backing away from the blonde as Niall turned around. 

"I'm not going to hurt you Zayn." Zayn scoffed and backed away even further as Niall reached out towards him. 

"Tell that to my bruised face and the scars on my stomach." He almost growled, watching as Niall sighed and shook his head. 

"I never wanted to hurt you Zayn, trust me. But you misbehaved and you had to be punished for it." Zayn tried his best to hold his tongue, knowing that it was no use trying to get through to Niall. He was never going to listen to him, no matter what he said. 

"Don't pull that sour face with me, let's just go upstairs. Watch a movie maybe?" Niall tried, knowing he succeeded when Zayn's eyes lit up. Zayn hadn't sat down and watched a good movie in a while, and he felt that getting lost in an hour-long film would help him forget about his current situation.

He nodded and slowly stood beside Niall, following the blonde up the stairs and into the living room. For two kidnappers they had a pretty decent living space Zayn would admit. Niall walked over to the DVD cabinet and shrugged his shoulders. 

"You can pick if you want. I'm going to go get some popcorn." Niall walked out of the living room and towards the kitchen, leaving Zayn to himself. And to the front door. If Zayn was quiet, he could sneak right out the front door. But at the same time, he had no idea where he was.

He could be in the middle of nowhere for all he knew, and somehow he had a feeling that Niall and Liam would find him again. He looked at the door with a longing look on his face one more time before turning back to the movie cabinets, picking a random movie and placing it into the DVD player.

+

"You actually picked a good movie. I'm surprised." Niall said, stretching his arms above his head while Zayn continued to watch the credits roll. He too was surprised at the movie choice considering how good the movie was. He had chosen Pan's Labyrinth, a favorite of Niall's from a long time ago; Niall had forgotten how good the movie was. 

"It was sad." Zayn commented, pressing the stop button on the remote as he stood. Niall furrowed his brows as he tilted his head, wondering what Zayn meant by that.

"What do you mean? She became happy in the end, I don't get how that's sad." Zayn shrugged as he played with a loose fabric on his shirt, taking a deep breath before he explained.

"Ofelia had to die to become happy, that's a little tragic don't you think? She obviously wasn't happy in the real world; I wouldn't be happy if I were her either. Her mother choosing another man over her, the man who was supposed to be her father figure shooting her, her whole life just screamed sadness. It's sad that she wasn't happy with her life, but it's happy because in the end she became happy as well after she died." 

"She didn't _die_ , she was reunited with her father, the one that lost his princess centuries ago." Niall said, crossing his arms as Zayn stood up and shook his head.

"You don't get it, do you Niall? Ofelia was schizophrenic. Everything that she had been through and saw was in her head. She didn't go on and live with her magical father she died and went to her own personal heaven." Zayn said, stepping around Niall to put the empty bowl that was once filled with popcorn into the kitchen sink while humming the movie's main tune. Niall furrowed his brows as he placed the DVD back into its case.

Suddenly Niall didn't feel so satisfied with the movie anymore and he put it away, going up the stairs and into his room, expecting Zayn to arrive to his room after he washed the dish.

+

 Zayn knew that what he had said about the movie was out of line, but he was pissed off. Throughout half the movie, Niall tried to make some type of move on him, and he wasn't having it. He either tried to place his arm around Zayn's shoulders, tried to place a hand on his leg, or tried to scoot closer to him. It disgusted Zayn because surely Niall couldn't think that Zayn would just go along with it.

The more Zayn thought about it the more upset he became, soon dropping the soapy glass bowl out of his hands in frustration. Panicked that Niall would 'punish' him over the broken bowl Zayn hurriedly tried to pick the pieces up from the soapy water, cutting his hand in the process. 

"Ow, fuck!" He gripped his bleeding hand as he placed the pieces back into the sink. He'd pick them up tomorrow. He turned around to see Niall standing with a first aid kit, placing it down on the counter as he made grabby hands towards Zayn's injured hand. 

"Let me see." Zayn gave Niall his hand and flinched as Niall gently ran a finger over it, reaching into the kit and taking out a roll of gauze and wrapping it around his hand.

"You have to be careful when washing the dishes. I don't like seeing you in pain." _I doubt that_. Zayn thought, biting his lip as Niall finished with mending his injury. Niall placed his hand over Zayn's, squeezing it lightly so he didn't hurt him, looking into Zayn's eyes as he stepped closer. 

"Better?" He asked, putting Zayn's hand back down to his side as he stepped even closer. Surprisingly, Zayn didn't back away as Niall continued to cross his personal boundaries. Zayn slowly nodded as he felt Niall's breath against his own, waiting in anticipation for what Niall was going to do as he spoke.

"Better." After a few seconds of just staring at Zayn, Niall instantly backed away after that, a small smile on his face as he turned his back on Zayn.  

"Good. Let's get to bed now yeah?" Zayn reluctantly agreed and continued to think the same thought over and over again as he followed Niall to his bedroom.  

_What the hell happened back there?_

 


	6. chapter five. ✖

It's been almost a month since Harry's called the police about Zayn, the curly-headed boy wasting no time in taking action to find his best friend. He's been sleep deprived for the past week, not resting until the police find at least   _one_ clue to lead him to Zayn.

He contacted Zayn's family and told him what happened; what person wouldn't? They had a right to know their son/brother had gone missing. Harry felt horrible breaking the news to Zayn's parents, Zayn's mum letting out a hysteric sob before hanging up the phone.

Harry of course wasn't taking Zayn's disappearance easy either. Almost a year ago his older brother Louis went missing, the whole thing tearing Harry apart. He and Louis were always close as kids, Louis always making sure that Harry was safe and never bothered by anyone else. Louis knew that Harry was a big softie and always felt the need to protect him, and Harry didn't mind it in the least. The older they became the closer they grew together, and neither had a problem with it.

But when Harry received a call from his mother explaining how Louis had gone missing, he couldn't function properly for weeks. They still hadn't found him, and Harry finally came to his own conclusion that maybe, they weren't ever going to find him.

He still feels shitty about Louis' disappearance, because he had done nothing to help contribute in the search. He stayed holed up in his bedroom for days, only leaving to use the restroom. This time though, things would be different. He wasn't just going to stand by and do nothing until Zayn was found. Zayn  _would_ be found.

Harry won't let Zayn down like he let his own brother down.

+

Zayn sat up in bed as he stretched, rubbing his eyes in an almost child-like way as he threw the blankets off of him. He stole a quick glance behind his shoulder to see if he had woken Niall, not wanting to disturb the blonde's slumber.

He felt a small warm, tug at his heart as he watched the man sleep, biting his lip as he watched Niall's chest slowly rise and fall. His eyes wandered from Niall's broad chest up to the small freckles that dotted his neck, then to his pink lips that looked oh so kissable.

Zayn snapped himself out of it after that thought, standing up quickly as he shook his head. He couldn't think of his kidnapper this way, he  _refused_  to see Niall in a different light. This is the man who took away his entire life for crying out loud; he should in no way feel any type of feeling towards him.

Yet, he had been battling these internal conflicts for almost a month now, ever since Niall gave him that small peck on the lips at the dinner table. Maybe it was his loneliness that made him feel these feelings for Niall.

On top of his rejection from Perrie, and the sudden flashes of loneliness he felt whenever he was left alone in the house, Niall was really the only one who seemed to pay attention to him. Zayn needed that,  _craved_ it, really.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to give in?

Zayn scratched his shirtless stomach as he made his way into the kitchen to fix up some breakfast, his eyes widening at the sight he's met with when he enters the kitchen. Louis was seated on the counter with Liam in between his legs, the two of them heavily snogging. Louis let out a small moan as Liam ran a hand down his thigh, giving it a light squeeze.

Zayn cleared his throat and watched in amusement as Louis jumped, pulling away from Liam quickly. Zayn gulped as Liam turned with a glare, unwrapping Louis legs from his waist as he turned around to face Zayn.

"Want to tell me why you interrupted us?" Zayn was too petrified to speak, Liam's broad figure beyond intimidating. Louis took action and hopped down from the counter, tugging on Liam's shirt. Liam immediately turned his attention to Louis, leaning down so he could hear what the boy was whispering about. Liam grinned and immediately bent down, picking Louis up bridal style, the shorter man squealing in delight as Liam carried him to their shared bedroom.

Zayn watched them go in confusion, tilting his head as he thought to himself. Just a week ago Louis was crying quietly to himself; Zayn even asked him why he was crying, and Louis only told him it was because he missed his family. But now, he's starting to think otherwise.

To get his mind off the subject of the complex man, Zayn decided to cook breakfast for him and Niall. After he found all of the necessary ingredients to make chocolate chip pancakes, he opened the cupboard to reach for the large mixing bowl, huffing in frustration when he couldn't reach it. He even tried standing on his toes, sticking his tongue out in concentration as he reached for it, but still couldn't quite grab it.

"Who the fuck puts a mixing bowl that high?" He grumbled to himself, climbing on to the counter tops. Resting on his knees, he finally was able to reach the large bowl, letting out a small laugh of victory.

Unfortunately, his laughter threw him off balance and he started to fall backwards, a small shriek leaving his lips as his arms flung around to try to stop himself from falling. Right when he thought he was going to hit the cold tile of the kitchen, he felt a strong grip catch him, the plastic bowl falling to the ground with a loud  _thunk_.

"Are you alright?" Zayn tilted his head as Niall looked down at him with concern, looking over the man in his arms to make sure nothing was scratched or bruised. Zayn could only give a small nod as Niall carefully set him down, still keeping one of his arms around his shoulders as Zayn tried to regain his breath.

"You need to be more careful love, I don't want you getting hurt." Zayn nodded and thanked Niall, bending down to pick up the plastic bowl and taking it to the sink to rinse it out. Zayn could feel the awkwardness filling the room as Niall stood in the middle of the kitchen, fiddling with his fingers as he tried to figure out what to say.

"So um, what are you going to make?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes," Niall nodded and looked around the kitchen as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, trying to keep his eyes off the shirtless Zayn that started to open up the ingredients he had laid out earlier.

"Do you want to help me make them? They're just for us, so..." Zayn felt bad feeling Niall just standing there not knowing what to do, so he couldn't' help the smile that grew as Niall grinned and nodded. Zayn smiled as he told Niall what to do, pulling out the whisk from the silverware drawer and handing it to him.

"Before we add any milk or eggs, we have to mix the flour and sugar so there aren't any lumps in the batter." Niall nodded and furrowed his brows in concentration, wanting to do everything perfectly for Zayn. Zayn smiled as he brought the eggs to the bowl, cracking them both and watching in amusement as Niall tilted his head in fascination.

"Have you ever cooked before?" Zayn wanted to know for some strange reason, his eyes widening when Niall shook his head.

"I've always watched my mum cook, but I never picked up on how to do it. I know you love to cook, so I bought every food and seasoning in existence so you can make whatever your heart desires." Besides the creepy fact that Niall knew everything about Zayn without the younger boy telling him anything, Zayn thought that the gesture was almost...sweet.

"I um, I don't really know what to say. Thank you." Niall beamed and poured the milk when Zayn told him to; happy that he had pleased the man he loved.

"Okay, now for the chocolate chips and vanilla extract." Zayn added a few drops of vanilla then handed the chocolate chips to Niall, telling the man to pour how much he wanted. Niall tipped the bag over and watched as little by little, a few chocolate chips fell into the batter.

"I want more..." Niall tipped the bag over even more and gasped when all of the chocolate chips fell inside, the batter buried underneath the chocolate. Niall looked up to Zayn nervously, only to see the Bradford native trying to stifle his laughs.

"It's okay Niall, once we mix the batter it won't look so bad." Zayn chuckled, watching as Niall's body sagged in relief.

After a few short minutes of mixing, Zayn was already pouring the batter into the prepped pan, flipping the pancakes when they were ready and serving them on to two plates. While Zayn was cooking, Niall had set up the table, butter and syrup waiting in the center of the table while the silverware was sat on top of napkins, ready to be used.

"Before we eat let me put the ingredients away real quick, I hate leaving the kitchen a mess before I eat."

"Let me help you." Zayn shrugged as he placed the now empty mixing bowl into the sink, then grabbing the empty chocolate chip bag and tossing it into the garbage. He turned to grab the sugar only to meet Niall who was holding the flour, the impact causing the flour to rise up and spill all over Niall's face and hair. Both boys were speechless until Zayn burst out laughing, gripping the counter to keep himself from falling over.

Niall was still stunned from the flour spilling on to his face, but when he snapped out of it, he smirked and placed the flour on to the counter.

"You think this is funny?" Niall said, subtly reaching his hand into the half empty flour bag.

"No, no, it's quite unfortunate that the flour—" Zayn couldn't even finish his sentence, because right when he was about to start laughing again, Niall threw a handful of flour into the boys face. Zayn gasped and watched as Niall started to laugh, the sound making the Pakistani boy's heart swell.

"Oh my god, you should see your face!" Zayn pouted but then smirked, taking the whole bag of flour and dumped it on the blonde's head.

"This means war, Horan!" Zayn screamed, running from the kitchen and towards the foyer. He looked back and forth, deciding which way to go, knowing his time was limited when he heard Niall shout from the kitchen.

"You can run, but you can't hide Malik!" Zayn decided that his best option was up, taking the stairs two at a time as he giggled to himself quietly. Surprisingly he was enjoying this small game of chase, the adrenaline rushing through his body as he opened the first door he came across in the hallway. Zayn was absolutely floored by the fact that he was in a _bathroom_ , yet the room still managed to look magnificent.

Mahogany colored wood and black tile tops, white towels hanging from silver towel racks, all of these things complimenting the creamy white walls. The shower could fit three people in it, a seat installed into the granite shower. The white, ceramic bathtub had jets inside of it, bath bombs, soaps, and scrubs lay out around the tub.

Zayn raised his eyebrows as he ran his hand over the flawless tub, dying to take a nice bath. He jumped as he felt someone wrap their arms around his waist, their flour covered hands running up Zayn's shirt as Zayn leaned his head back to rest on Niall's shoulder.

"You want to take a bath love?"

 


	7. chapter six. ✖

Niall's hands slowly ran over Zayn's heated body, the younger boy's breath picking up. Niall leaned over Zayn and placed the plug into the drain, slowly turning the knob of the faucet. Warm water began to trickle down into the porcelain tub, the sound hypnotic as Niall began to trail kisses down Zayn's neck. Zayn sighed as he leaned his head to the side, feeling Niall's soft lips on his neck.

Then, his eyes snapped open.

He wasn't supposed to be doing this; this was the man that   _kidnapped_ him. He shouldn't want to do this, he didn't want to do it, and he   _wouldn't_  do it.

"Niall wait—" Niall ignored the boy as he ran his hands underneath Zayn's flour-covered shirt, his pale hands contrasting with the tan skin. Zayn tried to wriggle out of Niall's grasp, gasping when the blonde boy began to tweak his nipples.

"I don't want to do this." Niall froze and stepped back from Zayn, leaving the boy to feel cold as he scrutinized him under a cold gaze.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't want this anymore. The two of us; I don't want it." It's as if someone flipped a switch inside Niall, the blonde grabbing Zayn's hips and slamming him against the wall beside the halfway full tub.

"You're going to take a bath with me, whether you like it or not." And those words, are exactly what pulled Zayn out of Niall's alluring aura; he was brought back to reality. Niall wasn't some loving boyfriend that Zayn got to know over time and soon fall in love with. He was some crazy guy that needed help, and Zayn wasn't about to succumb to his hypnotic gaze.

"No!" Zayn began to hit Niall's chest as Niall struggled to pull the younger boy's shirt off, involuntary tears running down Zayn's cheeks at the possibilities of what might happen.

"I don't want to!"

"If you don't want to get punished, you'll do what I say you little–" Niall was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing, faint knocks sounding from the foyer. Zayn's eyes widened at the possibility of it being the police, about to shout for help when Niall's icy gaze made him snap his mouth shut.

"Get into the bathtub.  **Now**." Zayn quivered with fear as he slowly started to pull his shirt off, Niall not leaving until Zayn was fully naked and seated in the now full bathtub.

+

Niall quickly made his way down the stairs, meeting Liam at the foot of the stairs.

"Did you check to see who it is?"

"Some silver-haired chick with blue eyes. She actually looks a bit like you, Niall." Niall furrowed his brows as he looked through the peep-hole, his eyebrows instantly furrowing when he saw who was standing on their porch.

It was that Perrie girl, the one that Zayn had a little crush on. Niall's stomach rumbled with rage, his hands fumbling with the locks. He wanted to strangle her until she turned blue, he wanted to rip out her hair and leave her with nothing but a few strands left on her head.

But instead, he opened the door with a small smile, internally screaming profanities at the innocent girl.

"How can I help you?"

"Oh um, I'm sorry to bother you, but, have you seen this man?" Niall took the paper Perrie handed him and looked over it, pretending that he had never once seen Zayn in his life.

"No, sorry. Is he a friend of yours?" Niall played dumb, watching as the girl gave a small nod as she looked down.

"Yeah. We've known each other since we were in diapers. I just can't believe he's missing..." Perrie trailed off, looking off the side while Niall faked a sense of pity.

"Is something wrong babe?" Niall looked behind him and smiled as Liam walked up, his shirtless body covered with flour. Niall figures he must've went into the kitchen and sprinkled the leftover flour onto his chest.

He and Niall had practiced this routine dozens of times; they were the gay couple that lived outside of town, the ones that kept to themselves and were still in that "honeymoon phase". The two of them shared a chaste kiss then looked over to Perrie, the girl giving them a smile.

"Aw that's cute! How long have the two of you been together?"

"About two years now. I'm sorry about your friend but," Niall giggled as Liam squeezed his bottom, Perrie blushing at the thought of the two of them doing...you know. "We were kind of in the middle of something. Let us know if you find him?" Perrie nodded and gave the two men a smile, turning around and walking down the porch steps.

"It was nice meeting you!" Perrie turned back and smiled, her eyes widening when she saw who was walking behind the supposedly happy couple. The man's hair was tousled, his body covered with a large white dress shirt. He was barefoot and was munching on either a carrot of a piece of celery, Perrie couldn't decipher what is was. All she knew was that she needed to go to the police, and report what she saw.

"Is something wrong?" Perrie realized that she was still standing there, frozen on their porch steps.

"No no, just lost my train of thought for a second. Thanks again for your help! I'll let you know if I find anything!" Perrie quickly trotted down the rest of the steps, placing her white sunglasses on and getting back into her car. She started the car and grabbed her cell phone, placing the device between her ear and shoulder as she drove off the dirt road.

"Hello?"

"Harry? Meet me at the bakery, you need to know something and it's, it's huge."

"Perrie, what's going on? Are you alright?"

"Just meet me at the bakery!" Perrie hung up the phone and stepped down on the gas pedal a little harder. She didn't know if she was just seeing things, or Zayn's disappearance was making her crazy.

But she couldn't deny the fact that she just saw Louis Tomlinson walking around in that house, the same man that went missing a year ago.

+

Perrie parked her car and quickly stepped out of it, slamming the door and running to the closed bakery. She could already see Harry inside, his wild curls giving him away. She pushed open the door and ran to his table, her chest heaving as she tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down. Harry's eyes widened as he stood up and took in the sight of Perrie, resting his hands on her shoulders to try and help calm her down.

"Perrie what is going on? Did something happen? Did you find Zayn?" Harry's eyes filling with hope at the possibility of Zayn being found. Perrie shook her head as she gripped Harry's arms to balance herself.

"No, I found your brother." Harry's jaw dropped, his arms dropping down to his side, as he sat back down in his chair. He tried to process everything at once, his breathing almost labored as he looked back up to Perrie.

"Wait, so you're telling me...?" Perrie nodded.

"I found Louis, Harry.  _He's alive_."

 


	8. chapter seven. ✖

"This can't be real, Perrie you have to go to the police with this, if they have Louis they could be the same people that possibly kidnapped Zayn!" Harry was pacing back and forth as he ran his hands through his curls, rolling his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Do you really think the cops will reopen his case? It's been a year Harry, they'll probably think that I was just seeing things or was being homophobic towards those nice guys."

"I know his case is old but you have to consider the possibilities. They'll be skeptical but they'll still search the house. If they don't find Louis they at least might find Zayn. Shouldn't we keep that option open? C'mon Pez, be sensible about this." Perrie shook her head but in the end just pulled out her cell-phone.

"Alright, alright. I hope to God you're right about this Harry."

+

"That stupid bitch saw you; do you realize how much trouble you've put us in?!" Louis whimpered as Liam slammed him against their closed bedroom door, his hands trying to pry his death grip off of him.

"Liam please, just try to calm down-"

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" He pulled Louis off the door and pushed him hard, the younger boy hitting the hardwood floors roughly. Liam completely disregarded him and pulled out a huge suitcase, his hands grabbing both he and Louis' clothes and stuffing them into the case.

"What are you doing?"

"What the hell does it look like I'm doing? I'm packing our stuff; we can't stay here!" Louis took this as his opportunity and shot out of the bedroom, his short legs carrying him down the staircase and towards the foyer. He didn't plan on leaving the house; he just planned on playing a game of chase.

He knew that Liam and Niall were inseparable; one was never without the other when it came to how they operated their kidnappings and little schemes. He was well aware that Liam was never going to turn his back on Niall, and that the blonde sure as hell would never abandon Liam.

So, the longer he stalled Liam, the more time he bought the cops to hopefully find both him and Zayn.

In the midst of his running, he slammed right into Niall, the both of them falling to the floor.

"What the fuck?" Louis continued to run without an answer, the blonde completely confused as he watched Louis round the corner. Just as Niall stood back up and continued to his room to pack up he and Zayn's clothes, another body slammed into him, knocking him down a second time.

"Seriously? I just got up are you serious?"

"Where did he go?" Niall knew that this wasn't just some chasing game for the two of them, the fury in Liam's eyes prominent as he looked around.

"He just rounded that corner over there, heading towards the parlor—" Liam took off before Niall could finish, leaving the man alone and confused once more.

Louis had doubled back around the foyer and was heading up the stairs again, passing the bathroom where Zayn was still shakily standing. He stopped his sprinting and quickly ran back to the door of the bathroom, his hands resting on the frame as he tried to get Zayn to help him.

"Hey, you wanna have the cops come and arrest these crazy bastards?" Zayn could only turn his head and nod slightly, taking in how Louis was sweating and breathing hard.

"Then play a game of chase," Zayn furrowed his brows but let Louis continue anyway. "The rules are actually quite simple—"

" **Louis**!" They both jumped at Liam's incredibly close booming voice, footsteps echoing from the hall. Louis' eyes widened as he looked behind him then back at Zayn.

" _Don't get caught_." With that he was off once again, leaving Zayn to decide on his own. Either stay and wait for Niall to avoid getting 'punished' later, or risk it all by possibly delaying their leaving so the police could arrive on time.

He guesses that he's risking it all.

With that he took off down the hall behind Louis, adrenaline coursing through his veins at the idea of being caught by Niall. He made it to the top of the staircase and began running down the stairs two steps at a time, running towards the parlor.

He took one glance behind him to see if anyone was following behind him, the action causing him to collide with another body. He didn't have to look twice to know that it was Niall, the curses falling out of the man's mouth having an Irish twist to them.

He made it to the back and quickly opened the patio door, not even bothering to close it behind him as he jumped over the white railing. He sprinted into the woods, flinching as he heard Niall's voice yelling for him to stop. He knew that he should stop; that he should just turn around and go back to Niall before it was too late.

But deep down he knew that this would probably be his only chance of escape. His only chance of ever getting home. He stopped as he hid behind a tree, trying to gain his breath back as he leaned over. As he stood back up a hand came around and covered his mouth, a shrill scream escaping his lips as he tried to fight off whoever had him in their grip.

"Shh, shh it's me." Zayn instantly calmed down as he heard Louis' voice, placing a hand on his sweaty forehead as he looked around.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Before Louis could answer a gunshot was sounded, the two men freezing as they felt something wip by them at the speed of light.

"You don't think—" Louis cut himself off with a yell as he felt something pierce his side, the feeling like someone branding him with hot iron. He fell to the ground as he gripped his side, trying to keep his groans muffled as Zayn kneeled down to help him.

"Fuck my fucking _fuck_ this hurts oh my _God_." Zayn lifted Louis' shirt to see that the bullet had only grazed him, leaving his skin to look an angry red.

"We need to get out of here Louis, I know you're in pain but," Another gunshot was fired and this time it grazed the tree trunk right by Zayn's head, the younger boy flinching as he gestured around him. Louis nodded and stood up, wincing at the pain but knew that it was bearable.

Together they tried to double back so they could make it around the front of the house, hopefully meeting the police there. Another shot was fired, this time the bullet hitting Zayn right in his left calf. He fell to his knees, whimpering in pain as he gripped his injured leg.

"C'mon Zee you got this, you can't give up now c'mon," Louis hoisted him back up and hitched one of his arms over his shoulder, his courage growing as he saw the side of the huge house.

"Louis I can't, just keep going I can't go on anymore." His leg was bleeding badly, and to make matters worse another shot was fired, this time landing right in Louis' shoulder.

"Shit these motherfuckers are really trying me; you can't give up now Zayn, get up!" Zayn could only shake his head as they both walked-well for Zayn, limped-to the house, trying their best to avoid the continuing shots being fired.

Just as the two of them had broken out of the brush one last shot was fired, this one landing in Zayn's back. With that Zayn was done, his whole body hitting the floor as tears ran down his dirt caked face. Louis dropped down beside him, not planning on leaving the young man's side.

"It's alright; I'm here." And that's when he began to cry. Zayn couldn't help but sob as he heard Niall and Liam's footsteps get closer, realizing that this was it.

This was going to be the end for him.

He thought about his family and his friends, how he never really got to actually _live_ his life. Instead he was lying face down in the dirt of a forest with a shotgun pressed to his back, waiting for his life to end. Louis sat beside him on his knees while gripping his bleeding shoulder, his eyes closed as he felt Liam's shotgun press against his forehead.

"We really love the both of you. Honestly." Niall started, pressing the gun harder into Zayn's back.

"But unfortunately, you just don't want to listen." Liam finished, knocking Louis' head with the gun.

"No!" Zayn yelled as Louis fell unconscious, Liam's gun aimed at the back of the feather haired boy's head.

"Don't be sad my love, after we've finished with the both of you, we'll join you in the afterlife." Zayn's anger filled him as he screamed, pounding his fists on the ground as he heard the gun being loaded.

"You're both fucking crazy! You're crazy!" Right as the two men got ready to shoot, three policemen came rounding the corner, firearms out and loaded.

"Drop your weapons!" Zayn almost started to laugh as he heard their voices, the words music to his ears.

 


	9. chapter eight. ✖

Niall and Liam dropped their weapons, putting their hands up and behind their heads as two of the officers went to place them in handcuffs.

"I need an ambulance at 800 Gardenia Street," The third officer spoke into his speaker, a static message coming through saying they were on their way. "You're safe now. They won't be terrorizing you anymore." Zayn nodded as he smiled, happy tears trailing down his face as he took a big sigh of relief.

"You won't be able to stay away from me forever baby; I'll find you, we'll both find you, and you'll be ours forever." Zayn cringed as Niall spoke in a monotone voice, a smile on his face as the officers forced both him and Liam into the back of the cop cars.

"Holy shit...Sheeran! Come see this!" One of the officers had carefully turned Louis over so that they could examine how bad his wounds were, the young man's face shocking the poor guy.

"What? What is...oh my god." The supposed officer named "Sheeran" bent down and brushed Louis' long hair out of his face, his blue eyes shining with both surprise and worry at the unconscious man.

"Isn't this the guy that went missing almost a year ago? He's been alive this whole time?"

"I guess so."

"We better inform his family."

+

Harry and Perrie had both ran straight into the hospital, the two of them rushing towards the front desk to talk to the receptionist.

"Is there a Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson checked into the hospital?" The receptionist held up a finger as she typed their names in, raising an eyebrow as she glanced over towards the two.

"Louis Tomlinson has just been transferred out of the ICU and is in room 345 on the third floor. Mr. Malik on the other hand–"

"What? What about him?" Perrie asked frantically, her brows furrowed with worry as she tapped her nails against the desk next to her.

"He's still in surgery. You can go visit Mr. Tomlinson if you'd like, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Mr. Malik is transferred from the ICU to a regular hospital room." Harry looked down at Perrie, wanting to see his older brother badly, but not wanting to leave the poor girl by herself.

"Go on Harry, I'll be alright. I know how devastated you were when Louis first went missing; just go." Harry grinned and gave Perrie a huge hug, thanking her and running off to the elevators.

+

"342, 343, 344, 345, 346, oh wait," Harry scanned back as he passed by Louis' room, taking a deep breath as he stood outside. It took him a few moments but he was finally ready. He entered the hospital room and almost sighed happily at the sight of his big brother. He tilted his head at Louis as he watched him in the hospital bed, his back facing him as he simply rested.

"Knock knock?" Harry softly tapped his knuckles against the walls, the noise startling Louis as he jumped. He quickly sat up, a plastic knife in his hand as he waved it around.

"Who is it? Who's there?" Harry quickly walked over and sat down next to Louis, gently prying the knife out of his hands and placing it on the table beside them.

"It's okay Lou, it's just me." Harry almost wanted to cry at Louis' state of mind, his eyes wide and his hair disheveled as he tried to calm himself down.

"H-Harry?" Louis furrowed his brows as he touched Harry's face, the younger trying not to laugh as Louis tugged and squeezed at Harry's cheeks. To Louis, this wasn't the same Harry he had remembered a year ago. His hair was a bit longer, almost to his shoulders and was only being held up by a ponytail. His shoulders had gotten broader and his jaw a little more sharper; but he was still his baby brother.

Louis enveloped Harry into a hug, a sob escaping his lips as he held on tight and buried his face in his neck.

"Harry..." Harry nodded a bit as he too shed tears, his big hands rubbing Louis' back as he pulled Louis into his lap. He couldn't give two shits about the fact that he was younger than Louis and that he shouldn't be the one holding him; but he couldn't imagine what Louis had been through, and he knew that all he could do was just hold his big brother and pray that everything would be alright.

"It's okay now, I'm here."

+

Perrie was getting tired of waiting, fumbling with her fingers as she sat in the waiting room. She started to  bite at her nails, the black nail polish chipping off every time she bit down. An hour had passed by and they still haven't given her any news on Zayn and if he was alright, her anxiety growing every minute that passed.

"Mrs. Edwards?" Perrie shot out of her seat and quickly walked over to the doctor waiting for her, shaking the doctor's hand as she waited for the results.

"How is he, is he alright? He's out of the ICU right?" The doctor chuckled and placed a hand up, telling Perrie to calm down and breathe.

"He's doing okay. Before I get started my name is Jade, Jade Thirlwall. We've placed him in his room and he's going to be recovering slowly. But soon enough, he'll be back to his full health. Mrs. Edwards, are you aware about Mr. Malik's injuries?" Perrie shakes her head, a little nervous about what Dr. Thirlwall had to say.

"He was shot twice; once in the calf and once in the lower back," Perrie gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth to cover the on coming sobs. "Luckily the bullet missed his spine, so he isn't paralyzed completely. But he will be put through physical therapy to help get the full feeling back into his legs. Would you like to see him?" Perrie nodded and let Dr. Thirlwall lead her to Zayn's room, the two of them soon arriving and entering the room.

Inside was also Louis, the room being able to have two patients occupy it. Harry was seated beside Louis, but he was also talking to Zayn, telling the boy over and over that he was going to be okay and that he was here for him. Perrie ran to Zayn and placed her on Zayn's shoulder, the man looking up at her and giving her a weak smile.

"Hi..." Perrie let out a happy sob as she gave Zayn a gentle hug, happy that he was alive and safe.

"I'll let you four have some privacy. Press the nurse button if you need anything." They all nodded and thanked Dr. Thirlwall, waiting for her to leave before they launched into questions.

"What were they like?"

"What did they do to you?"

"Why would they even think of shooting you?" Zayn and Louis looked back and forth as they tried to process each question, answering them slowly and unwillingly; they honestly just wanted to forget about what happened to them.

"I do have a bit of a dilemma though," Louis spoke up quietly, all three of them putting their attention on him as he fumbled with his fingers.

"I think I might kind of like him though? Liam I mean. I know he's psychotic and needs a shitload of help but there's a part of me that liked the attention I was getting."

"It's all in your mind Louis, you know that–"

"Yeah I   _know_   that Harry, but still, somewhere deep down inside of me; I just wanted to be with Liam. I don't know, maybe I'm just a little loony from the sedative." Louis shook his head, knowing that the rest of them thought he was a little crazy.

"I feel like sleeping."

"Louis–"

"Seriously, Haz, I just want to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow in the morning." With that Louis turned over in his bed and placed the blanket over his face, enveloping himself inside it. Harry sighed and stood up, looking at Perrie and Zayn.

"It has gotten pretty late. We should let them rest, Perrie." Perrie nodded and gave Zayn a chaste kiss on his forehead, then standing and following Harry out the door. Zayn sighed as he looked over to the lump on Louis' bed, knowing that the man was far from sleeping.

"Are you okay?" Louis pushed back the blankets and turned over so that he was looking at Zayn.

"What do you think? My little brother thinks I'm crazy, you probably think I'm crazy. Even a huge part of my brain is telling me that I'm crazy for feeling this way. Why   _am_ I feeling this way?" Louis looked helpless and it saddened Zayn, the younger boy shrugging because honestly, he had no idea. He couldn't deny though that he knew what Louis was going through because he felt it too; he felt that faint tug at his heart strings when he thought about Niall.

"I don't know why you're feeling this way, maybe because you've been stuck with him for a year. But I can tell you that you're not alone in it. I'm feeling this way, not as strong, but I feel it. And I've only been around him for a few months. Maybe we are crazy, maybe we aren't. But you're not alone in this Louis, you're not." Louis nodded as he turned and lie on his back, huffing out a breath as he shook his head.

"Well, we might as well get some sleep anyway. Goodnight Malik." With that Louis turned over once more and placed the rough blanket over his head, trying to block out the noises of the hospital.

+

It was past midnight and Zayn couldn't sleep at all. He had asked the nurses to turn off all the lights, bring him some warm milk to drink, to put the heart monitors on silent; he even asked one of the nurses to help him up so he could empty his bladder to prevent him from having to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom.

And even after all of that preparation he still didn't get that drowsy feeling. He denied medications to help him sleep, and he knew the reason on why he couldn't sleep, and wouldn't sleep. He was afraid that he would come back. That Niall, Liam, or possibly even both would somehow escape where they were being held and find them. This idea shook him up badly, up to the point where all he could do was watch Louis peacefully sleep.

Or, so he thought.

"You can't sleep either, huh?" Zayn almost jumped at the sudden sound of Louis' voice, shaking his head as he sighed.

"Nope. I thought you were asleep?"

"For five minutes. Then I could feel you creepily watching me." Zayn laughed as he shrugged.

"I wasn't trying to be creepy honestly." The two of them chatted aimlessly amongst each other in whispers, trying not to catch the attention of the working nurses outside their door. They got so caught up in talking to each other that they didn't even notice their room door opening slowly, two figures slithering in like snakes as they crawled quietly on the floor.

"No way, Zelda is a _way_ better princess than Peach will ever be."

"What? That's not even fair okay Peach get's carried by a giant dragon turtle and Zelda doesn't even have anyone holding her captive, yet she  still makes Link do all the work." Louis argued, crossing his arms as he sat up straighter.

"Are you kidding? Zelda doesn't leave the castle because she's the last ray of light holding the twilight back from the land. If she leaves the castle then the whole land of Hyrule is done for. And when Link fights off the bosses in each temple and gains back some of the light from the land, she gets on the back of his horse _with him_ and shoots bows and arrows that stop Ganandorf and brings Link one step closer to defeating him. And what does Peach do? Sit back and scream 'Mario help me!'" Zayn laughed as Louis pouted, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms.

"Whatever, I still think Peach—" Louis was cut off as a hand appeared out of nowhere and covered his mouth with a cloth soaked in chloroform, the older boy screaming into the cloth as he tried to pry the hand off him. Zayn was horrified and tried to press the nurse call button, only to have a hand also carrying a cloth soaked in chloroform come up and cover his mouth and nose.

He started to cry as his mysterious attacker turned on the light above his bed, shedding light on the whole situation and revealing who they were. Louis was unconscious in Liam's arms, head falling back as Liam carried him in bridal position. Zayn's vision was starting to cloud as he looked up at Niall, the blonde smiling down at him as he kissed Zayn's forehead.

"You're never going to escape Zayn. I will   _always_ find you. I'll never let our love be separated by those horrible people again." Zayn whimpered as his vision completely started to fade away, all of his senses shutting down as he fell limp into Niall's arms.

And before Niall and Liam could walk out of that room where three nurses lay dead on the hospital floor,

_Zayn woke up._

 


	10. chapter nine. ✖

Zayn woke up with a huge fright, screaming as he quickly sat up and looked around the room. Niall's guitar in the corner, the easel and desk holding Zayn's palette, paints, and paint brushes; the wedding ring placed on Zayn's finger three years ago still on his finger. It was all there; everything was where it should be. He sighed as he placed his head in his hands and took deep breaths, the sheets beside him stirring.

"Babe? Baby what's wrong?" Niall sat up and took Zayn into his arms, cuddling his husband as he placed soft kisses all over his face. Zayn shook his head as he tried to calm his breathing, running his fingers across Niall's muscular arms.

"It was a bad dream is all..."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Zayn sighed and turned so that he was facing him, toying with his fingers before launching into full story mode. In the end Niall was laughing, Zayn laughing along with him as he shook his head.

"Pretty ridiculous dream right?" Once Niall had calmed himself down from laughing, he lay down so that his head was in Zayn's lap, shrugging his shoulders as he looked up at him.

"Not really ridiculous; more interesting than anything else. A stalker? Both me _and_ Liam?" Zayn bit his lip as he nodded, giggling as Niall quickly switched them around so that Niall was on his back and Zayn was lying on top of him.

"So let me get this right," Niall grunted, running his fingers up and down the spine of Zayn's back as he raised an eyebrow. "Liam and I are stalkers, you and Louis were the victims that we kidnapped, Harry and Perrie worked at a bakery, Jade was a doctor, and Ed was a police officer?" Zayn pretended to think about what Niall had said then nodded frantically.

"Yeah that sounds about right."

"Damn babe I don't know where you get your idea's but this dream was pretty vivid? You woke up screaming was it really that bad to be kidnapped by me?" Zayn chuckled at Niall's fake hurt tone, resting his head on Niall's shoulder.

"No, but it just, it wasn't _you_. You weren't the man I met in that old gas station market, you weren't the man that had persisted on taking me out on a date until I said yes to get you off my back. You weren't the man that wrote a song for me and sang it on our wedding night. You weren't the man that I had fallen completely in love with." Niall knew that this dream wasn't just a joke; it really did scare Zayn. So he took his loving husband into his arms and rocked him back and forth, singing a small lullaby in his ears.

Zayn started to drift off, his eyes fluttering close as Niall continued. Niall ran his hand through Zayn's hair, kissing his forehead then settling down in bed beside him.

"Sleep easy my love. We'll talk about it some more in the morning." With that he covered them both and draped his arm around Zayn, falling into a peaceful, easy sleep.

+

Zayn was shirtless as he painted on his huge canvas, tubes open and squeezed free of paint. He smiled as he finished placing the last touch in the very corner, placing the paint brush and palette down. He stepped back to get a good look at it, a huge grin growing on his face as he looked it over.

"Love! Everyone is down stairs waiting for you what are you doing?" Niall came rushing around the corner and stopped dead in his tracks, looking at Zayn's painting and smiling.

"No way...did you paint what we all looked like in your dream?" Zayn nodded and wiped his hands off on the towel in his back pocket, reaching for his band tee on the bed and placing it on.

"So, they're all waiting down stairs yeah? Let's let this baby dry and then I can come up and show it to them." Niall agreed and walked down the stairs with Zayn in tow, everyone sitting in the living room with huge smiles on their faces as they laughed at something Harry had said.

"Hey, there's the dreamer!" Zayn smiled at his best friend and quickly walked over to him, enveloping him into a hug. Louis was taken by surprise and awkwardly hugged Zayn back, giving his beer to his boyfriend Liam as he tried to pry Zayn off of him.

"Are you alright? What happened in the dream man you're really freaking me out." Zayn pulled back with a chuckle as Liam interrupted.

"I was a good guy, right?" Zayn looked over towards Liam while biting his lip, looking around as Niall walked up behind him.

"Not exactly. Why don't we have Zayn sit down and explain it all."

"Sounds good to me."

And so, Zayn sat everyone down and explained his dream, the facial expressions ranging from amused to disturbed.

"What the fuck Liam kidnapped me? Babe if you wanted to role play you could've asked. You know I don't mind being tied up." Liam blushed as he quickly shushed Louis.

"I was a cop though that's pretty sick." Ed commented, smiling at his younger boyfriend sitting next to him.

"A doctor huh? I've always wanted to be one but then again I could never handle all the blood." Jade cringed making a grossed out face as she took another sip of her water.

"At least you guys had exciting characters all me and Harry did was work in a bakery. I also don't get how we were teaming up this whole time you know we can't stand each other." Perrie stuck out her tongue at the curly-headed boy and laughed as he gasped, cuddling into his red-haired boyfriend as he pointed at Perrie.

"Hey, I would at least give Zayn a chance if he asked me to go out with him on a date you turned him down flat." Perrie raised an eyebrow as she wrapped her arms around Jade's waist tighter, pretending to think before she shot a look back at Harry.

"Last time I checked Zayn's dream is pretty accurate. I'm a fucking lesbian you twat of course I'm going to say no." Niall laughed loudly as Harry pouted, curling into Ed's chest as he muttered a small 'well fuck you too then.'

"Zayn why is there paint all over your arms and neck?" Liam pointed towards Zayn's body, the said man looking down and scanning his arms and chest.

"Oh! He made a painting of how we all looked in his dream, you want to see?" Niall intervened, grinning when everyone said yes.

"Alright, while Zayn goes to take a quick shower, I'll see if the painting has finished getting dry." Niall followed Zayn up the stairs and watched as his husband grabbed a towel.

"Want to join me?" Zayn winked, making Niall roll his eyes as he pecked him on the lips.

"If we didn't have guests, then yes I would. But unfortunately for you Mr. Hornball we have guests. Go take a shower." Zayn playfully pouted but nonetheless walked to the bathroom and shut the door. Once Niall heard the lock click he quickly walked to the closet and reached for the top shelf, pulling down a small shoe-box painted black and blue.

+

Zayn scrubbed at his body harshly trying to remove the acrylic paint, watching as the water turned many different colors before going into a nice clear color. He smiled as he thought of his husband, the man he loved for all of these years. He couldn't believe such an amazing man would choose to spend the rest of his life with him; and the thought honestly made Zayn grin without fail.

He shut off the water and wiped the steam off the mirror, quickly rubbing his body with the towel before he winced in pain. He rubbed the towel slower over his body, trying to find the source of the pain. When he ran it over his abdomen he felt that sting again, hissing as he looked down.

He wrapped the towel around his waste and turned on the fan in the bathroom to clear the steam quicker, tapping his fingers as he waited for it to clear. Once Zayn could see himself he leaned over so his stomach was on full display, his face draining of color when he saw the angry red lines on his abdomen.

_N.J.H_

The scrubbing from the brush must have irritated the scars, and just like that, Zayn's whole world came crumbling down.

+

Niall softly smiled as he opened the box, pictures of him and Zayn at family gatherings and friendly outings spread out in the box. Niall pushed them aside and reached for the pictures Zayn hadn't seen, the ones that Niall had taken years before they got together, before Zayn even knew he existed.

There was one of Zayn brushing his teeth in his bathroom when he lived in his own apartment, one of Zayn sitting alone at the park as he worked on a sketch of a couple of birds nearby. He heard the shower shut off and the fan turn on, his husband finally done with his shower.

"Babe are you done? I don't want to show the painting without you!"

"Um, I-I'll be out there in a second Ni." Niall beamed at the closed bathroom door then smiled down at the pictures of Zayn. They were all precious to Niall, the blonde holding them to his chest as he giggled.

" _It'll be our little secret_." He muttered to himself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this was a wild ride; thank you for sticking through it! be on the lookout for a sequel. x

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading. x


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